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  • Fugue: Review

    Fugue: Review

    Malcom (Jack Foley) wakes up one morning with no recollection of how he got there or who he is. He meets Helen (Laura Tremblay) who tells him that she is his wife and that he has been suffering from short term memory loss. A while later, Helen opens the door and it’s their friend, Ian (Mike Donis) who comes inside and hopes to help Malcolm regain his memory.

    However, later that night Malcolm and Helen are woken up to intruders who try and force Malcolm to open their safe, but with Malcolm not having any idea who he is let alone the safe combination, they knock him out.

    When Malcolm wakes up the next day, he cannot remember a thing about the night before and goes about his day with his wife and his son, Samuel (Evan Siemann) who’s celebrating a sixth birthday. Little does Malcolm realise that although he may have forgotten the events of the night before, the intruders haven’t and they’re coming back to get into Malcolm’s safe by any means necessary.

    Fugue is an intense home invasion thriller with familiar tropes that have been used time and time again when it comes to protagonists suffering from memory loss. Right from the start the audience may be wondering whether Malcolm is really in a situation that he is and so suspicion falls onto Helen and Ian from the word go.

    Both are being rather cagey and seem to be hiding something, however the extent of their deception is played so well that although the audience may know where the plot is going, the performances are enjoyable enough.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9txZxp0KXE

    However, there’s enough to distract the audience, at least for the most part, so that it doesn’t really matter whether the audience realise how familiar the story may be, not to mention the large plot hole that never gets addressed.

    All the actors play their parts well, particularly Tremblay and Donis who play well off each other when the full extent of their relationship is revealed. Fugue’s plot may not be all that original and the low budget Inception-like plot may grate a little, but it’s enjoyable enough as long as you don’t think about it too hard.

  • Vampires vs. The Bronx: The BRWC Review

    Vampires vs. The Bronx: The BRWC Review

    Vampires vs. The Bronx is the first of several horror-centric titles set to hit Netflix during the month of October. Successfully tying-in with an upcoming holiday is often easier said than done though, as the streaming giant’s 2019 Halloween slate (Fractured and In the Tall Grass) failed to generate a positive impression. Thankfully, their latest horror venture unearths a promising debut from writer/director Osmany Rodriguez, delivering a spirited adventure that intelligently connects its thrills to our societal zeitgeist.

    The film follows Miguel aka “Young Mayor” (Jaden Mitchell), Bobby (Gerald Jones III), and Luis (Gregory Diaz IV), a trio of precocious teens adamantly standing against the gentrification of their neighborhood. New tenets aren’t the only issue, as the three quickly realize their neighbors are blood-thirsty vampires.

    Instead of fixating on superficial thrills, Rodriguez’s film aptly grounds itself in a sense of place. The opening act soundly establishes our characters and their beloved neighborhood with charm and style, whisking audiences into a lively place that sings with personality (including a few playoff homages to Spike Lee). Rodriguez’s script defines his world with a very genuine eye, drafting free-flowing conversations and witty banter that fly right off the page. It helps that the central stars, Mitchell, Jones III, and Diaz IV, make for a dynamic trio, with the young performers elevating what could be archetype roles (cameos by Method Mad and The Kid Mero are also quite fun).

    As good horror should, Vampires vs. The Bronx reflects on societal dynamics. Instead of crafting a lengthy thesis on gentrification, Rodriguez addresses the systematic problem through the film’s playful humor. This approach feels tailor-made for the horror/comedy tonality, discarding a self-serious preachiness that plagues other entries in the genre. I also appreciate the finite tonal line Rodriguez totes, creating an approachable family horror film that still isn’t afraid to throw some dramatic stakes at its adolescent audiences.

    There’s fun to be had with Vampires vs. The Bronx, though its pleasures are relatively slight. The narrative often feels bogged down by cliched plot beat, with the personable qualities Rodriguez imbues only covering so much ground. There are also some struggles when the film dances outside its core focus, with a B-plot involving the allures of gangster life lacking the dimension to register a strong impression.

    When operating at its apex, Vampires vs. The Bronx thrives as an inspired remix of genre influences.

  • Supernova: The BRWC LFF Review

    Supernova: The BRWC LFF Review

    Hankies at the ready…

    Supernova, director Harry Macqueen’s follow-up to 2014 debut Hinterland, is a heartfelt and deeply affecting look at one couple coming to terms with an inevitable reality. Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci play Sam and Tusker, together for twenty years, enjoying a camper van holiday across England to visit family and look back on their fondest memories. Tusker is struggling with early onset dementia, and Sam fearful of a life without his best friend. 

    While the film certainly brings back memories of Michael Haneke’s devastating yet brilliant Amour, Macqueen’s approach is a little different. It’s a warm, affectionate and charming picture that reels the audience in with the likeability of its central characters and entertains every bit as much as it hurts. 

    Firth and Tucci are, undoubtedly, hugely responsible for the film’s success; two superbly talented and experienced actors with a wonderful chemistry that unfolds like magic on the screen. We really feel as if these characters have a history that is being threatened, and we truly grow to love them and care for their plight. Their commitment to their character traits and to the story’s most upsetting moments really sell the heartbreak of the situation; a long-term, happy and loving relationship is slowly fading away before our very eyes. 

    Both Sam and Tusker have to come to terms with a great deal in Supernova. They are fully aware that this may very well be their last trip together, at least while Tusker is of his right mind, and he’s terrified of losing sight of himself and becoming somebody else. Meanwhile, Sam is doubtful of his ability to look after him but determined to do whatever he needs. Both clearly know an unspoken truth that they’re hesitant to admit to themselves or each other, and those worries manifest themselves in several touching moments, particularly during a heart-breaking toast at a family dinner.  

    It’s not perfect, by any means. It’s a tad conventional and the script occasionally comes across a little clunky and on-the-nose, but it doesn’t really matter. Sam and Tucker are so likeable and authentic that the film comfortably succeeds in its approach to loss and mortality. 

    Supernova isn’t doing anything necessarily knew, but it’s doing it well. It’s a sincere, gentle and charming look at the things we do for the ones we love, and the closing moments will break the hearts of even the most hard-nosed of viewers. 

    SUPERNOVA, starring Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci and directed by Harry Macqueen, will now be released in cinemas on Friday 20th November.

  • Acute Misfortune: Review

    Acute Misfortune: Review

    Adam Cullen (Daniel Henshall) was a renowned Australian artist and Acute Misfortune tells the story of his life through the words from his biography as written by Erik Jensen (Toby Wallace). For those who haven’t read Jensen’s biography and have seen a lot of biopics about various famous people (or people they never heard of) then perhaps they would be expecting a particular kind of format.

    However, actor turned director Thomas M. Wright’s biopic of Adam Cullen does away with any of the familiar tropes and cliches that audiences may have come to expect. The rose-tinted glasses are thrown away as Acute Misfortune is not told through the eyes of a fan or the carefully drawn up agreement made by Cullen’s estate so as to not show him in a bad light.

    Instead, Acute Misfortune shows Cullen very much as he would have been. Warts and all may be a phrase that is bandied about to bring in an audience, but in this case the warts and all are just the honest truth and a terrific portrayal by Henshall.

    Drafted in to write Cullen’s biography, Jensen doesn’t know quite what to expect. After all there’s a fine line between genius and madness and as he gets to know Cullen, Jensen starts to realise that the world of an artist (particularly this one) is not one in which he may want to involve himself.

    Henshall’s performance is as close to the real man that anybody could imagine and thankfully besides a little eccentricity and intensity in the script and his performance, Henshall still manages to stay in a character that’s real and the film doesn’t wander off into spectacle over realism.

    To any other director, a a cross between A Beautiful Day in The Neighbourhood and Ex Machina may have been tempting to exaggerate Cullen’s behaviour to extraordinary levels.

    However, Acute Misfortune manages to dig deeper than that, so that by the end of the film the audience will see a portrait of a man whose life they may or may not have known about, but by the end they will feel as if they know him through and through.

  • The Planters: Review

    The Planters: Review

    By Heidi Sharpley.

    There’s a saying, “if you want something done give it to a busy woman”.  Well, Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder have been busy indeed.  Apparently best friends since they were eight years old, these two women are a driving force as according to IndieWire, “the two would be solely in charge of the film’s sound, costumes and makeup, not to mention directing, writing, shooting, producing and starring in it.”  They also ran a KickStart campaign to fund it and were recipients of a Women in Film Finishing Fund grant.  Aretha Franklyn would have been proud of these sisters, doing it for themselves.

    Martha Planter played by Alexandra Kotcheff finds it hard to relate to people and struggles in her job as a tele-sales consultant for an air-conditioning company where her personality as rigid as her perfect hair braids, doesn’t lend itself to making sales.  Her zany and true passion is burying tins in the desert containing trinkets and treasures she’s stolen from the second-hand store.  Martha types succinct instruction notes with the coordinates and pins them to the town notice board.  Her delight comes from recovering compensation left behind by successful treasure hunters. 

    Hannah Leder really plays three characters: the gentle and damaged Sadie Mayflower, and her mixed up alternate personalities, reckless 4 year old Emma who regularly shits her pants, and brash Angie who loves to get drunk with everyone around her.  Sadie arrives unexpectedly after escaping a sex cult and good-hearted Martha takes her in.  

    This movie is about unlikely friendships, helping each overcome obstacles and finding your place to belong.  Not a unique plot but that doesn’t matter.  The Planters is visually stunning and the detailed art direction creates beautifully quirky-looking settings for just as quirky and endearing characters. 

    Each scene is carefully constructed and stylised with a smorgasbord of considered props.  The camera angles and framing adds appeal and your eyes are spoon-fed exactly what they are meant to dine on.  As the movie unfolds watch out for the whimsical bike and trailer transitions. 

    Music and sound is a key trigger for the audience of the Planters.  Thomas Kotcheff’s compositions are inspiring.  I’m guessing Alexandra and Hannah had some help from friends and family.

    The stop motion scenes of Hannah’s visions with Jesus and Moses are enchanting.  Sam Barnett knows how to animate.

    This indie movie won’t be for everyone but already, I want to watch it again. I think Kotcheff and Leder have a style of their own and I look forward to seeing what else this power-house pair comes up with.